I’m always interested by the personal stories that show up in the comments here on WashingtonWatch.com. It’s a window onto people’s experiences in some of their most difficult times. Here’s a sampling.

On H.R. 261, The Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act of 2007, a thirteen-year-old shares the sadness of having a father in prison:

My Dad is the closest person to me in the world. I didnt even know it was possible to love somebody so much. He is a great person and an even better Dad. He made the wrong decision like everyone else he IS human. I just dont beleive it is a fair punishment to take someone away from there family if what they did didnt affect anyone. He did make a mistake and he ALSO learned from it. Being taken away from your family is one of the worst things you can do to someone.

H.R. 5454 would establish a presumption that veterans who suffer amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have a service-connected disease. One widow writes of her experience:

MY HUSBAND . . . WAS [diagnosed] WITH-ALS-MARCH 2, 2006, PASSED AWAY JULY 2, 2006. THIS DISEASE IS A DEATH SENTENCE. HE APPLIED FOR VA BENEFITS-NEVER GOT ANY HELP. HE COULDN’T EVEN GET AN APPT. WITH A DOCTOR AT VA FOR 4-6-WEEKS!!!
HE SERVED 14-MONTHS IN SEOUL, KOREA FROM 1970-1972. HE WAS ONLY 61 YEARS OLD.
I HAVE APPLIED FOR BURIAL BENEFITS-BUT HAVE BEEN DENIED.

Not all the comments should engender our sympathy. H.R. 5722, The International Megan’s Law of 2008 would mandate reporting requirements for convicted sex traffickers and other sex offenders intending to engage in international travel. It has someone who identifies as “Level 1 Offender” very angry:

I wished I had known what would come of being human. You - self-righteous monster creators - I damn you all to hell and, if I had my way I would kill you all with the simple push of a button. Humans are no better than dogs when banded together. Before I die, my 1st Amen. rights will be served. If I am lucky, then you who have done this to me, and those who think “they are so right,” I look forward to the day you all die a miserable, intensely painful death. “God Almighty - make them all suffer - even their damned forsaken children forever to hell!”

Not a happy day for this character.

It’s all the part of the passion of the comments.

In not one, but two proposed regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency is adding new sites to the National Priorities List. Maybe one of them is in your home town!

Our congratulations go out to:

• Iron King Mine–Humboldt Smelter in Dewey-Humboldt, AZ
• Nelson Tunnel/Commodore Waste Rock in Creede, CO
• Flash Cleaners in Pompano Beach, FL
• Aberdeen Contaminated Ground Water in Aberdeen, NC
• East Troy Contaminated Aquifer in Troy, OH
• Old Esco Manufacturing in Greenville, TX

and to:

• B.F. Goodrich in Rialto, CA
• Raleigh Street Dump in Tampa, FL
• Arkla Terra Property in Thonotosassa,FL
• U.S. Smelter and Lead Refinery, Inc. in East Chicago, IN
• Curtis Papers, Inc. in Milford, NJ
• Behr Dayton Thermal System VOC Plume in Dayton, OH
• New Carlisle Landfill in New Carlisle, OH
• Borit Asbestos Tailings Pile in Ambler, PA
• Barite Hill/Nevada Goldfields in McCormick, SC
• U.S. Magnesium in Tooele County, UT

Well, perhaps it’s not congratulations these places should be getting.

There is this thing called the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan. It’s required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (known as “CERCLA” to us insiders), and it includes a list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States.

This is the National Priorities List, and the EPA uses it to decide which sites warrant further investigation for public health and environmental risks associated with the site and to determine what the EPA might do about it.

So evidently being put on this list is some part of cleaning up toxics, but it’s quite complicated, bureaucratic, and dense. But our congratulations - er, condolences - go out to the new members of the list!

(The Environmental Protection Agency is funded through the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. Alas, the bill for FY 2009 hasn’t been introduced in either House of Congress yet - even though the new fiscal year starts in less than a month!)

I like to think that the cost estimates we publish on WashingtonWatch.com give people a little something they can use to figure out what matters in the world of Washington, D.C.

And, y’know, it’s rational to ignore a bill that doesn’t cost much, because there are bills that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per family which might be more appropriate to focus on.

Then again, the little bills that cost anywhere from a penny to a dollar come through again and again and again - and over time all that spending adds up.

Anyway, writing here in the last couple of posts, I’ve been struck by the “value” I put on two different bills that are both in the thirty-cent range.

Writing about Hurricane Katrina, I pointed out the passage of a bill to help with student aid programs for victims of Hurricane Katrina. No guarantee that it’s going to do any good, but it seems like $.38 is a small amount in context.

Then there’s Senator McCain’s proposal to regulate boxing. That $.32 seems like a big waste to me. I don’t watch boxing. I don’t care about boxing. I’ve never boxed - except once, very badly, in grade school (and that was just for pride/insecurity).

So, where do you want your thirty cents going?

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On the WashingtonWatch.com Blog Though Hurricane Gustav has slowed the start of the Republican convention, a post on the WashingtonWatch.com blog called “McCain’s Priorities” takes a look at the legislative work of Senator McCain in the current Congress.

Featured Items Congress continues its ‘August’ recess and will not return to Washington until next week. This week, the Republican party convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul will select Senator John McCain (R-AZ) as that party’s presidential nominee. McCain served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1986 and began his service in the U.S. Senate in 1987. We took a look at his record in the current Congress on the WashingtonWatch.com blog, and will examine a few key bills here. Senator McCain has introduced 21 bills in the current Congress, but only one in 2008. This is the fuel tax holiday he proposed at the beginning of the summer. S. 2890 would have suspended excise taxes on gasoline and diesel fuels between May 26, 2008, and September 1, 2008. The savings to taxpayers from the bill was not estimated. Boxing regulation has been an interest of McCain’s for some time. His bill S. 84, the Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2007, would establish a bureau called the United States Boxing Commission to regulate the sport of boxing. Passage of the bill would cost the average U.S. family about $0.32. Just one bill introduced by Senator McCain has passed into law. That is S. 327, the Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act, which was passed as a part of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008. This law authorizes a study of sites associated with Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement. Passage of S. 327 carries a negligible cost per U.S. family, and the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 was not the subject of a cost estimate. S. 2890 A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a highway fuel tax holiday S. 84 The Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2007 Costs $0.32 per family S. 327 The Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act

What People Think S. 2890 56% For, 44% Against Vote on this Bill The Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2007 34% For, 66% Against Vote on this Bill The Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act 32% For, 68% Against Vote on this Bill

WashingtonWatch.com P.O. Box 77576 Washington, D.C. 20013

Big ol’ Hurricane Gustav is a reminder of Katrina, of course, and things have gone quite a bit differently - in part because of good preparation, but mostly because of luck.

When we were unlucky, we were really unlucky. The result was more than $800 per family in government spending. It’s something we featured in a news release here. (This was before the spectacular WashingtonWatch.com blog, you see.)

Here’s a look at the Katrina-related bills we featured shortly in that disaster’s aftermath - passed bills and pending bills. Of the bills pending, H.R. 3863 passed, becoming Public Law 109-86 and spending another $0.38 per family.

As of October 11, 2005:

Bills already passed:

• P.L. 109-61, A bill making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, to meet immediate needs arising from the consequences of Hurricane Katrina, and for other purposes. Costs: $120.36
• P.L. 109-62, A bill making further emergency supplemental appropriations to meet immediate needs arising from the consequences of Hurricane Katrina, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, and for other purposes. Costs: $593.78
• P.L. 109-66, The Pell Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act. Costs: $0.02
• P. L. 109-68, The TANF Emergency Response and Recovery Act of 2005. Costs: $68.77
• P. L. 109-73, The Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005. Saves: $62.11

Bills still under consideration:

• H.R. 3670, A bill to extend for persons affected by Hurricane Katrina the time for appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims of certain decisions of the Board of Veterans Appeals that are rendered during the period from June 1, 2005, through November 30, 2005. Costs: $0.01
• H.R. 3863, The Natural Disaster Student Aid Fairness Act. Costs: $0.38
• S. 1716, The Emergency Health Care Relief Act of 2005. Costs: $96.46
• S. 1738, The Special Inspector General for Relief and Reconstruction Act of 2005. Costs: $0.85
• S. 1764, An act to provide for the continued education of students affected by Hurricane Katrina. Costs: $2.43
• S. 1766, The Louisiana Katrina Reconstruction Act. Costs: $1,751.79
  

When Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) was announced as Senator Barack Obama’s (D-IL) running mate, I did a quick scan here of his legislative priorities in the current Congress. Now, for the start of the Republican convention, here’s one on Senator John McCain (R-AZ).

(We’ll look at Barack Obama in a week. Without a record as a federal legislator, Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) won’t get a similar analysis, but we’ll be looking for tidbits on her as well.)

Senator McCain has introduced 21 bills in the current Congress. Just one of them has passed into law. That is S. 327, the Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act, which was passed as a part of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008.

This law authorizes a study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement. It’s not a significant piece of legislation, and the life of a farm labor organizer is not the usual fare for a Republican, but it probably appeals to some of McCain’s home state constituencies, which include Mexican-American immigrants and the children of immigrants and farm workers who have established themselves as U.S. citizens.

Much of McCain’s legislating is oriented toward his home state, with native American issues and Arizona land issues joining interests of Senator McCain’s like military reform, campaign finance regulation, and a smattering of other things. Boxing regulation has been a McCain hobby horse for some time.

Senator McCain has introduced only one bill in 2008. This is the fuel tax holiday he proposed at the beginning of the summer. McCain’s 2008 is the portrait of a man campaigning for the presidency. (I hasten to add that quantity is not an important metric of a representative’s work. One good bill is worth a thousand pieces of symbolic legislation or 10,000 bad bills passed into law.)

With that, here are Senator John McCain’s legislative priorities, as expressed by his actions in the current Congress. It’s one of many snapshots of this contender for the presidency.

PASSED INTO LAW

S. 327
The Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act
was passed as The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, Public Law 110-229

INTRODUCED BILLS

S. 32
The Defense Acquisition Reform Act of 2007

S. 83
The Rail Security Act of 2007

S. 84
The Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2007
Costs $0.32 per family

S. 85
The Indian Tribes Methamphetamine Reduction Grants Act of 2007

S. 86
The Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Act of 2007
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 166
The Cell Phone Tax Moratorium Act of 2007

S. 192
The Lobbying, Ethics, and Earmarks Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007

S. 463
The 527 Reform Act of 2007

S. 478
The Federal Election Administration Act of 2007

S. 519
The SAFE Act of 2007

S. 531
A bill to repeal section 10(f) of Public Law 93-531, commonly known as the “Bennett Freeze”
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 663
A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the statutory designation of beneficiaries of the $100,000 death gratuity under section 1477 of title 10, United States Code, and to permit members of the Armed Forces to designate in writing their beneficiaries of choice in the event of their death while serving on active duty

S. 722
The Walnut Canyon Study Act of 2007

S. 744
The SAVE LIVES Act

S. 952
A bill to amend the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental and Native American Public Policy Act of 1992 to provide funds for training in tribal leadership, management, and policy, and for other purposes
Costs $0.04 per family

S. 1255
The Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act of 2007
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1304
The Arizona National Scenic Trail Act
Costs $0.01 per family

S. 1900
A bill to authorize appropriations for the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution

S. 2172
The Saffron Revolution Support Act of 2007

S. 2890
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a highway fuel tax holiday

I came across an interesting article in my Labor Day weekend reading. (Yes, I do know how to have a good time.)

“What’s the Emergency?” [PDF; scroll down a bit] is the name of an article in the Summer 2008 issue of Regulation magazine, and it illustrates yet another dimension of how the federal spending process is out of control.

In addition to falling well behind in the regular spending process, Congress is increasingly passing emergency supplemental spending bills - even for ordinary spending.

In May 2007, for instance, President Bush signed into law the biggest supplemental bill in history, $120 billion [$1,300 per U.S. family - ed.], to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and pay for hurricane recovery and agriculture disaster relief at home. . . . By contrast, the average annual amount of emergency supplemental spending in the 1990s — a decade that saw interventions in Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo — was just $13.8 billion.

“Emergency” bills are given special exceptions from budgetary rules designed to restrain spending. But Congress never defined the term “emergency” other than to say that these bills must be necessary, sudden, urgent, unforeseen, and temporary. These things are all in the eye of the beholder. As de Rugy points out, “most of the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — approximately $900 billion through the end of 2008 — has been funded through supplemental bills — effectively on top of the
Pentagon’s regular budget. While the costs of the wars may be necessary and not permanent, they are by no means sudden or unforeseen.”

Your Congress at work.

(Disclosures: I know and like de Rugy, and Regulation is a publication of my employer, The Cato Institute.)

I was flipping through the channels on a DirecTV setup yesterday when I spied a most interesting campaign put together by the satellite TV provider itself. On the unused channels, there was an important message aimed at subscribers.

Big Cable companies are encouraging states across the country to charge satellite subscribers, like you, higher state sales taxes. This is unfair!

A bipartisan group of members of Congress have said, enough is enough! They introduced the State Video Tax Fairness Act (HR 3679 & S 3418) to prevent any state from charging higher taxes on satellite subscribers than on other video customers.

The message invites DirecTV subscribers to contact their members of Congress encouraging support for these bills.

It’s very interesting to see a company go straight to its customers with a public policy push, but you see it more and more. Ebay Mainstreet is one of the most prominent I’ve seen.

Anyway, the campaign is working to some degree. Take a look at the first comment on H.R. 3679, The State Video Tax Fairness Act of 2007. It’s from a guy who saw a message on his DirecTV system. The Senate version hasn’t seen quite as much action.

Here’s the current voting on H.R. 3679, The State Video Tax Fairness Act of 2007 and S. 3418, The State Video Tax Fairness Act of 2008. Click to vote, comment, learn more, or edit the wiki articles about the bills.

This is a bill so huge, you should fear its wrath if you don’t support it.

It’s “The MEGA.”

Congressional staff put a surprising amount of time and effort into naming their bills in clever ways. If the title of the bill can be made to spell something clever, the bill will be more likely to pass and better for the country, right? (Like the USA-PATRIOT Act!)

So this one’s called “The MEGA.” That stands for Metro Economies Green Act. It’s a name that doesn’t actually mean anything, but it’s probably about some environmental something.

BUT YOU MUST FEAR IT! FEAR THE MEGA AND SUPPORT IT!

Here’s the current vote on the MEGA. Click to vote, comment, learn more, fear the MEGA, or edit the wiki article about the bill.

I wrote here six weeks ago about how the telecommunications subsidy programs run by the Federal Communications Commission were poorly run and subject to waste, fraud, and abuse.

Well, evidently, the FCC got the message and has cleaned up its act! Or started to . . . . Or at least they did something.

Today, the agency has debarred a Mr. George Marchelos from from the schools and libraries universal service support program (often called the “E-Rate program”) for three years. Marchelos was recently convicted of participating in schemes to defraud the E-Rate program and of engaging in bid rigging on E-Rate projects for certain school districts. (Here’s a look at part of his indictment.) He must be devastated that he can’t rig bids or defraud this particular corner of the government for a whole three years.

Interestingly, Marchelos was a witness at a congressional hearing on problems with the e-rate program back in 2004. (The House Commerce Committee says his testimony will be online “as soon as possible after the conclusion of the hearing,” which evidently is something more than three years.)

So you can go ahead and pay your telephone taxes again with the confidence of knowing that waste, fraud, and abuse have been squeezed out of this program - ummm, for three years at least.